Turku Court of Appeal confirms life sentence for Valkeakoski 15-year-old murder
The Turku Court of Appeal has sentenced 19-year-old Tuomas Salminen to life imprisonment for murder and aggravated child rape. The crime took place in Valkeakoski in May 2024.
Court of Appeal: Salminen killed victim intentionally and with premeditation
The Turku Court of Appeal has upheld a life sentence for 19-year-old Tuomas Sakari Matias Salminen for murder and aggravated child rape. According to Valkeakoskensanomat.fi, the Court of Appeal did not alter the sentence or charges previously imposed by the Pirkanmaa District Court.
Salminen killed a 15-year-old girl in Valkeakoski on 25 May 2024. He followed an unfamiliar girl walking home late at night for approximately 1.5 kilometres, forced her into a wooded area, raped and strangled her to death. The victim's friends found her the following morning.
Deliberate and premeditated act
The Court of Appeal determined that Salminen killed the victim intentionally and with careful premeditation. The court noted several factors in the act which together demonstrated particular premeditation.
Salminen did not take his mobile phone with him when he left home on the night of the murder. The Court of Appeal assessed this as evidence of advance planning. "The conclusion is that Tuomas Salminen left his phone at home because he had planned the act in advance and sought in this manner to avoid being caught," the Court of Appeal's judgment states.
Before the act, Salminen carried out online searches including ones about serial killers, misogyny, rape, and strangulation with a belt. The Court of Appeal considered the searches relating to belt strangulation as evidence of the man's interest in the method of killing.
A couple of months before the homicide, Salminen posted on the Ylilauta forum: "Today I'll carry out my first killing. I've been excited for a long time about strangling a woman." During police questioning, he explained the message as a drunken whim.
After the act, Salminen returned home and reset his phone to factory settings. Police arrested him the same day.
Salminen sought a lighter sentence
The case was heard in the Turku Court of Appeal in early June, as Salminen sought to reduce the charges and punishment. He has contended that he is guilty of rape, assault and gross negligent homicide — not murder.
According to Salminen, his intention was not to kill the girl, and he explained that he strangled the victim out of fear of her screaming. The Court of Appeal did not accept this explanation.
Salminen participated in the Court of Appeal hearing via remote connection from prison and covered his face from photographers.
The prosecutor had sought a manslaughter conviction at the district court, but stated at the Court of Appeal that the act contained "elements of murder". The victim's family members have sought a murder conviction — a situation which is rare in legal practice.
Compensation reduced
The Court of Appeal reduced the compensation Salminen must pay to the victim's parents. The District Court had ordered each parent €20,000; the Court of Appeal reduced the sum to €16,500 per person.
The Court of Appeal nonetheless determined that the act causes the victim's parents greater suffering than a typical homicide, which is why the compensation must be above average. However, the court stated that there were no grounds to exceed the recommended upper limit, which is €18,000.
Premeditation disputed
The Court of Appeal weighed the indicators of premeditation somewhat differently than the District Court. The District Court regarded the resetting of the phone to factory settings as evidence of premeditation; the Court of Appeal considered it more significant that Salminen did not take his phone with him at all.
The hearing also addressed a belt that Salminen had at the time of the act and an additional hole in it. According to the victim's family members, the hole made it possible to create a loop in the belt for strangulation. The Court of Appeal determined that the victim was strangled by hand and with a belt, but it remained unproven that the additional hole was made specifically for the purpose of the act.
Salminen denied following the girl and claimed to have been walking in the same direction by chance. According to the Court of Appeal, this explanation is not credible: after leaving home, Salminen spent approximately an hour circling the Hotel Waltika area before heading towards Valkeakoski town centre.
Salminen was additionally charged with possession of an image depicting a child in a sexual manner.
The judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal on Friday is not final.
Source: Google News FI — Crime (fi)